Now, eight more party leaders serve ultimatum to Congress

18 Jan

Bathinda:The Congress high command is again set to face serious trouble from rebels. As many as eight party leaders on Monday announced to file nomination papers on Wednesday¸ if party doesn’t replace candidates in their respective constituencies.

Bhupinder Gora (Maur), Gursharan Kaur Randhawa (Samana), Jagtar Singh (Bathinda-Rural), Raman Bhalla (Pathankot), Hemraj Aggarwal (Ludhiana-North), Naresh Puri (Sujanpur) and Harmal Chand Sharma (Bhoa) held a meeting here and after that they all gave an ultimatum to the high command to replace the candidates by Tuesday evening in their segments otherwise they would all file nominations on Wednesday as independent candidates, to ensure the party nominees face pathetic defeat.

While justifying their logic, the agitated Congress leaders said that they were putting efforts to nurture their respective constituencies for the party for past 10 years but when the time get ticket came, the high command sent people from outside.

“We are not gong to bear injustice this time and it is decided. We will go rebels and put the party is serious loss, if our demand for tickets is not kept,” said Bhupinder Singh Gora, who is also the Maur assembly constituency in-charge of the party.

Gora’s parents on fast-unto-death

The Congress, after rejecting his claim for Bathinda (urban), fielded the former MLA Harminder Singh Jassi from the Maur assembly segment. However, the development came with a major problem for Jassi, who is a close relative of Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.

Congress’ Maur constituency in-charge Bhupinder Gora was one of the strongest claimants for the ticket this time as his claim was rejected in 2012 with an assurance to be honoured in 2017. As the party didn’t keep its words, father and mother of Bhupinder Singh Gora have launched a fast-unto-death in front of the house of Jassi at Jassi Baghwali village near Bathinda.

Gora’s father Raghbir Singh and mother Manjit Kaur started protest against Jassi on Friday after paying obeisance at Gurdwara Titarsarn when Jassi had gone there to pay obeisance before kickstarting his poll campaign.

Having raised the banner of revolt against ticket allotment, another Congress leader Sukhraj Natt had announced revolt but it was decided that he would go by the committee decision and it reportedly came in favour of Gora.

Gora’s mother, who claims to be Jassi’s cousin, also expressed life threat from Jassi and mentioned that if anything wrong happens with them or their son Jassi and party’s secretary Harish Chaudhary would be responsible.

Despite repeated attempts, Jassi couldn’t be contacted for his version as his assisting staff claimed that he was busy in canvassing.